Oklahoma RB Jovantae Barnes is Conquering 'Obstacles' to Feel Like Himself in 2024

The junior recently spoke to the team about his injury struggles that robbed the Oklahoma running back of his sophomore season.

Jovantae Barnes (2) runs drills during a Oklahoma football practice in Norman, Okla., on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

NORMAN — Jovantae Barnes is comfortable running behind an offensive line, but he stepped out to talk in front of the entire team ahead of fall camp. 

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables praised Barnes’ leadership as he walked the team through his struggles battling injury as a sophomore. 

“He wanted me to go up just pretty much tell the youngins’ and tell everybody that just came in my journey since I’ve been here,” Barnes said after OU’s practice on Monday. “I kind of just opened up a lot more of what was going on my sophomore year, how I felt personally, what I did to kind of just help and get through it. Just fight through it. 

“It was pretty good to get up there and let the new guys and let the youngins’ know that even though you have obstacles you got to get through it. So that was probably the most important thing that I did.”

Barnes solidified himself as Eric Gray’s understudy as a true freshman, finishing the 2022 year with 519 yards and five scores on 116 carries. 

But a lingering injury hampered the bruising running back in 2023. 

Healthy again, Venables said Barnes looks like his old self — something that comes as a great relief to the junior. 

“Mentally and physically I feel great. Can’t complain,” Barnes said. “…  I’m hoping to look better than I did my freshman year. So obviously I’m excited to just get back and feel good and feel the groove of everything.”

Barnes enjoyed watching teammates like Gavin Sawchuk have success in 2023, but he was frustrated he physically couldn’t compete with the rest of the running backs in practice. 

He leaned on his family and the coaching staff to get him through the year. 

“My mom was right there by my side the whole time because she knew how competitive I am and how I get in my head all the time,” Barnes said. “DeMarco [Murray] was there as well. He had given me calls or he would even talk to me after every practice and make sure I was alright. 

“Everybody knows I’m a competitor. I love to go in there and compete and when I couldn’t get a chance to go in there and compete it kind of hurt me. It hurt me a lot.”

Oklahoma running back Jovantae Barnes rushed for 108 yards in the 2022 season finale against Florida State. / Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the struggles, Barnes said transferring out of Norman was never a serious consideration. 

“It was no doubt that this was the place I wanted to be,” Barnes said. “I’ve loved OU ever since I was in high school, ever since DeMarco was recruiting me. … This the place I wanted to be. I love this place.”

Now back in action, Barnes’ teammates are finally seeing what he can bring to the table when he’s fully healthy in practice. 

“Last year … I didn’t get to see his full potential,” OU quarterback Jackson Arnold said on Monday. “… Right now he’s extremely explosive. Just powering through the line, running dudes over. I think he’s being very physical right now and that’s something that we need from him.”

The biggest thing Barnes wants to improve on in 2024 is identifying holes in the offensive line faster, but Venables is just proud of his determination to get back on the field. 

“What his expectations were, the disappointment that he experienced last year, some of that is not his fault,” Venables said on Saturday. “A lot of times you have to get out of your own head and all part of making progress. That was good. He had a great summer and a really good first three days, in many ways looks like his old self.

"I don’t want to jinx him, but he’s done well in the first three days.”